What if Texas Succeeded in Seceding?

There’s been a lot of talk about the state of Texas seceding from the United States. Governor Rick Perry has mentioned secession several times over the past year as a way to avoid federal taxes and ex-Governor Sarah Palin even mentioned it the other day in a speech in the southern state. But what would happen if they actually did it? Here are five very real possibilities.

From 13 Colonies to 13th Largest Economy

If Texas were to secede from the United States, they would find themselves the thirteenth largest economy in the world. This would put them somewhere above Saudi Arabia. Yee Haw for Texas! This would last approximately one week. Assuming they could keep all of the military personnel they currently have, this will give them an army of about a hundred thousand men. This, of course, does not count the militia that they would most likely raise. If Texas seceded, there would be a very viable chance that the U.S. government would try to intervene in a military fashion. Even if they could hold off a military attack from the U.S., the Mexicans could try to regain back some territory that it lost in the early 1800s with an army of approximately two hundred thousand men.

Trade and Exports

Even if the United States didn’t attack Texas, a trade embargo would go into place to teach the rogue nation a lesson. This embargo would most likely make Cuba stand up and say, “Whoa!” Without being able to export their products and resources – which makes up approximately 31% of the states total income, Texas would have to start searching elsewhere to unload their goods. An additional five percent of employment in Texas comes from foreign investments that are friendly with the United States. Would these countries risk problems with the United States to help a single state?

Who Can We Turn To?

One act of desperation might come from Texas making trade agreements with foreign nations such as Cuba or Venezuela. However, the socialist practices of these nations would be against the very fabric of the Texan mentality and there could be trouble with trying to convince Texans that these countries can be of aid to them. Do you think the Texans will see eye-to-eye with Hugo Chavez or Castro?

You Think The Taxes Are Bad Now?

NAFTA would not recognize Texas as part of their agreement and this would cause high tariffs imposed on Texas by nations who can take advantage of the situation. Additionally, the options available for transporting goods are severely limited. They can’t ship goods north with a country they are at odds with. Going through Mexico will incur a tariff. The most viable option would to use container ships to set sail out in the Gulf of Mexico and out into the Atlantic or into Central America. Here, they run the risk of protecting their cargo from foreign nations and pirates (yes, there are still pirates out there- the U.S. Coast Guard protects us from them) who would see an estranged Texas state as a juicy target for hijacking supplies.

How Do You Stop It All?

If Texas thinks they have immigration problems now, they will be swamped with a drug trade like the world has never seen, if they secede. With a limited military, they will need to shore up their police force to stop drug violence. This extra expenditure will take away from necessary functions of a government, such as: improving their infrastructure, feeding their own people, negotiating diplomatic agreements, and building up its manufacturing. In short, they will fall into decline and become nothing more than a drug state. How will they pay for all of these extra expenses? Hmmmm…Taxes?

Texas would suffer from any serious thoughts of seceding from the United States. While it is good and fine to posture about the ability to have individual freedoms, they forget the government aid they receive for the 1.5 million children they have living in poverty. They forget that they receive $625 million dollars each year from the U.S. government to combat their welfare. They forget that, even though they may not agree with everything the United States government does – Democrat or Republican – they are part of a superpower that protects them from many hardships of the world. These calls for secession would ruin the state of Texas. They would be better off just paying the taxes and shutting up.